Sasquatch E. Moji and Mister Yelly are best friends and live near their Grandmother in Chickaloon Village. They like hunting, playing video games, and especially eating moose soup and listening to their grandmother’s tales at the upcoming celebration of First Frost.
The village is always dark since the sun was stolen; Grandmother says by a great Fish! But a serious threat creeps into their lives after their cousin Vally disappears while trying to find out why the Glowberries are disappearing, and Yelly goes into a trance and passes out while berry picking with Grandmother. Moji and Yelly don’t want to leave the village – they want to practice their Ahtna language, pick berries and sing the village’s songs. But the darkness has turned its eyes towards Yelly, and they’ll have to take a dangerous trek to Palmer Valley to find the village’s ex-champion, who swore an oath to protect the village if ever needed. They leave the village with a Sacred Pouch which proves their identity, a Snack Pack (which is kind of a “fanny pack of holding” for “mega munchiness for infinite snackiness”) and Snow Goggles which have 3D terrain mapping and see in many spectrums! Pretty cool Grandmother, huh? She’s definitely the coolest character in the comic. But wait! There’s more! Grandmother gives them B.O.B.A., Binary Organism Bound for Adventure, which is kind of like a snowmachine plus Night Rider’s Kit’s abilities and tech. (Kids, look it up.) So, with all this +300-point gear, Moji and Yelly can’t help but win, right?
Will they find out what happened to Vally? Will they find the village’s champion? Will they bring back the sun and make their village’s culture safe? Will they remember others before themselves and respect all living creatures in the tapestry of the world?
This is a fun comic that is nicely paced for both kids and parents. It fills a space where almost nothing else is – comics that explore Alaskan cultures. The pages are arranged in almost neon hues with action slashing in from all the gutters, just like video games. I can only think of two previous comics about Native subjects – Dembicki and Bruchac’s Trickster from 2021 (which isn’t entirely Alaskan) and 2018’s Snowguard, the Amka Aliyat character who lived in Nunavut. (Which is Canada.) The brand-new How I Survived Four Nights on the Ice might qualify, but I haven’t seen it yet.
The pages are crammed with lots of detail and give kids a good idea of what it’s like to live where it’s dark a lot. There are also one-page lessons that teach different aspects of Alaskan Native culture, like Ahtna Language History, Alaskan animals and traditional Native Alaskan stories. Macheras and Silver also use their comic to encourage kids to make up their own stories and draw their own characters, and there are a lot of fun drawing tips, exercises and story ideas in the back of the book. The comic is appropriate for all ages. There is no adult-themed material. Number #1 lesson to take away: Listen to your Grandmother! She rocks.
Chickaloonies: First Frost
By Casey Silver and Dimi Macheras
Art by Casey Silver and Dimi Macheras
80% Studios, 2021
ISBN: 0000000000000
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Older Teen (16-18)
